Condo Residents Lobby For Traffic Light

MARGATE — Several Palm Lakes Condominium residents say unless a traffic light is installed at Rock Island Road and Northwest First Street it`s only a matter of time before someone is killed.

Lee Billingsley, director of traffic engineering for the county, says the county legally cannot install a light there because county engineers have studied the intersection several times and ``at the present time, the criteria is not met for signalization at that location.``

Several of the approximately 100 people who packed City Hall Wednesday for a town meeting on the county budget were Palm Lakes residents who wanted to lobby commissioners for the light.

``If this issue were taken care of, this room would be an empty hall,`` said Henry Katz, of the 7500 block of Northwest First Street.

Katz told County Commissioners Scott Cowan and Howard Craft that installation of the light should be a top priority in next year`s budget.

``I don`t want to have to come back after someone is seriously injured or killed,`` Katz said.

Wednesday`s crowd was the largest in a series of meetings held throughout the county this week, according to Floyd Johnson, county administrator.

Johnson said the meetings were held in an attempt to find out the needs of the people before sessions begin in September to determine the make-up of the county budget.